Kaizen Event (aka Rapid Improvement Event)

Kaizen is a Japanese word that combines the ideas of “change” and “goodness” which basically translates to “improve for the better.” In practice a Kaizen is a Rapid Improvement Event that generally spans from 1 to 5 days and involves key process participants focusing on solving a narrowly scoped process improvement opportunity. The difference between Kaizen and typical workshops is threefold:

The planning for the event is extensive

Leadership has given explicit approval for change

The agreed upon improvement takes place before the Kaizen event is completed

Elisabeth is a Managing Partner & Executive Advisor at GoLeanSixSigma.com. For over 25 years, she's helped leading organizations like Amazon, Charles Schwab and Starwood Hotels & Resorts build problem-solving muscles with Lean Six Sigma to achieve their goals.